Mercedes Rivas, 44, who lives near by, stands by her friend's car before making a trip to the Laundromat as residents talk about their Anna Drive neighborhood where an officer shot 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz in Anaheim. Mercedes Rivas, 44, lives across of Anna Drive on Acacia Avenue, and said the tension between police and the residents could ease if officers just talked to them instead of acting aggressively. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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ANAHEIM -- The heavy stream of news vans and reporters were no longer lined up Anna Drive, but residents still shared stories of Saturday's fatal officer-involved shooting that left many traumatized neighbors looking for answers.

"I hope this is the last time that this happens," said Tranquilina Moreno, 50, a nearby resident.

After a night of violent protests in downtown Anaheim, longtime residents reminisced Wednesday of how their community used to be, others talked about protesting for justice and about their relationship with police, and some wondered how the quality of life could be improved.

Ricardo Hurtado, 21, who saw 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz handcuffed on the ground after the shooting, said most of the community went to the City Council meeting Tuesday together and did not participate in the violent protests that erupted after the meeting.

"Everybody went together from this community," Hurtado said. "We went together to the meeting and we all came back together."

Here is what some neighbors had to say (interviews were in Spanish):

JOSE CRESPO

Jose Crespo, 59, a 15-year resident of Anna Drive, said the fatal shooting of Diaz has traumatized his neighbors and strained relations with the police.

"We don't have police support here ... with this happening," Crespo said Wednesday.

When discussing the killing of Diaz, Crespo thought back to how his community used to be. Back then, residents feared gang members in the neighborhood.

Now, he said: "They respect us."

The police, Crespo said, make his neighbors uncomfortable.

He said he supports the recent protests. "We need justice," he said.

TRANQUILINA MORENO

Tranquilina Moreno, 50, who lives in a neighborhood near Anna Drive, walked to Diaz's makeshift memorial to get a sense of what the neighborhood was going through.

Mercedes Rivas, 44, who lives near by, stands by her friend's car before making a trip to the Laundromat as residents talk about their Anna Drive neighborhood where an officer shot 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz in Anaheim. Mercedes Rivas, 44, lives across of Anna Drive on Acacia Avenue, and said the tension between police and the residents could ease if officers just talked to them instead of acting aggressively. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Rivas, 44, added, "We don't like the police at all. They think that they're the law and they're not going to respect us." KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Two women comfort each other in front of a memorial set up for 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz, who was shot by an Anaheim officer in the Anna Drive neighborhood. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tranquilina Moreno, 50, who lives near by, searches for words as she gives her opinion while visiting the Anna Drive on Wednesday to get a sense of what was going on. She said she heard Manuel Angel Diaz, who was shot to death by police on Saturday, was a good guy. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Moreno, said "This happens in the poorest areas … in the most vulnerable areas, she added. "Police see them like they don't deserve life, but they do. We all deserve respect and the opportunity to change." KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A bible in Spanish, flowers and candles are part of a memorial set up for 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz, who was shot by an Anaheim officer in his Anna Drive neighborhood. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Mercedes Rivas, 44, right, listens to her friend Erika Vergara, 37, tell a story about her son's experience with Anaheim Police officers as residents talk about their Anna Drive neighborhood in Anaheim. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Vergara, 37, also lives across of Anna Drive on Acacia Avenue, and said, "There is a lot of abuse within the Anaheim Police Department." She said she supports the protests so their voices could be heard and provoke change. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A sign with a protest slogan is part of a memorial set up for 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz, known to his friends as "Stomper," who was fatally shot by an Anaheim officer in the Anna Drive neighborhood. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jose Crespo, 59, pauses a moment in front of his apartment as some residents talk about their Anna Drive neighborhood where an officer shot 25-year-old Manuel Angel Diaz in Anaheim. Crespo, who has been living along Anna Drive since 1997, said "The police make his neighbors uncomfortable. After the shooting, people are traumatized," he added. KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Crespo, added "Back then residents did fear armed gang members in the neighborhood. Now the gang members in the area look out for them." KEN STEINHARDT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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